Roller skates are well known in the prior art, and they generally comprise a pair of boots or metal shoe-attaching plates, each usually mounted on two sets of wheels respectively disposed under the heel and toe areas of the boots or plates. At least for adult skates, the individual wheels are attached to their axles by means of ball bearings and the like so that the wheels turn as frictionlessly as possible. As a result, the skater is able to achieve a substantial rate of speed when using such skates.
One of the most important drawbacks of the prior art skates is that despite their design for speed they do not have any braking mechanism, as the skate braking mechanisms known to the art are ineffective or difficult to use. Also, the prior art skates cannot be adjusted to suit the different levels of skill of different skaters, and thus, particularly in the case of adult skaters, a novice must use skates which are actually designed for an expert. Finally, turning is somewhat difficult with the prior art skates, and as most have a high center of gravity, it is fairly easy to fall while making a turn. This problem is compounded somewhat in that the prior art skates lack any shock-absorbing capacity so that the jarring effect from rolling over bumps or cracks is transmitted to the foot and legs, which at best is uncomfortable and at worst could cause the skater to lose control, particularly in a turn.